Zoysiagrass named ‘Aloyzia’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of  Zoysia  grass, substantially characterized by its distinctive dark green color, its tolerance to winter climate, and its spreading growth pattern.

Latin name: Zoysia japonica.

Varietal denomination: ‘Aloyzia’.

The parent of ‘Aloyzia’ Zoysia grass is Meyer Zoysia grass. ‘Aloyzia’differs from its parent in that it is a deeper, greener color. It has afiner texture and is much more aggressive than Meyer Zoysia grass. Italso grows more upright than its parent.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention is directed to a new variety of Zoysia grass and moreparticularly a grass that exhibits a deeper green color and better coldtolerance than Zoysia grass.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention herein is a new and distinct variety of Zoysia grass. Idiscovered this plant in a lawn planted at my home in Exeter, R.I. inthe mid to late nineteen forties to early fifties by my father, CharlesH. Allen Jr. The original planting was Meyer Zoysia. Some of it surviveduntil the 1960s In May 2006 I planted what was left in six flats andtook them with me when I moved to Florida in November 2007.

This grass began to exhibit qualities distinctly different from othertypes of Zoysia and other warm weather grasses here in Florida. Thisgrass has a medium texture, comparable to Kentucky Bluegrass varieties,but definitely finer texture than other Zoysia varieties such as Empireor Meyer. It also has exhibited deeper green color and better coldtolerance.

‘Empire’ ‘Zoysia’ grass is the subject of U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,466.“Meyer” Zoysia grass doesn't appear to have been patented. It wasreleased by the U.S.D.A. in 1951.

I proceeded to send a sample to Dr. Rebecca Brown at the University ofRI for a DNA test to verify whether or not it was a new variety. At thesame time I expanded my new seedling by vegetative division using two tothree node sections. I removed two inches of soil in front of my house,laid down weed fabric to prevent contamination from soil weeds, andreplaced the soil with sand in which I planted the nodes. It took fourmonths to become a solid strand of planting material. It was plantedFebruary 1st, was completely full by June 1st. The nodes were plantedthree-four inches apart in rows three to four inches apart. Growthcharacteristics exhibit greater rhizome activity and fill in emptyspaces with more upright growth than typical Zoysia growth of stolons,which grow laterally. Consequently producing a tight upright growth withmuch better appearance. Dr. Rebecca Brown has confirmed the fact that Ihave a new variety of Zoysia that I have named Aloyzia.

Aloyzia has been maintained at 1½ inch height of cut, fertilized with a4-1-2 ratio with interim applications of ½ lb N of Milorganite. It hasreceived 1-1½ lb N per month during grow-in period.

As indicated above I performed asexual reproduction of my new Aloyzia byvegetative division in Sarasota Fla.

I have chosen “Aloyzia” as the varietal name for my new grass.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Aloyzia is a distinctive, new variety of Zoysia grass characterized byits upright growth habit, forming a medium textured, and tight, darkcolored firm turf. These traits are maintained when propagatedasexually.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the overall appearance of the grass of this invention. Itincludes a comparison with Empire Zoysia on the right to illustrate themore upright growth, darker color and overall tighter turf of Aloyziashown on the left.

FIG. 2 shows a comparison of rhizomes/stolons of Empire Zoysia on theleft with Aloyzia on the right. It illustrates the difference indiameter size, length of internodes and number of nodes per inch.

FIG. 3 illustrates the branching characteristics of the grass of thisinvention.

FIG. 4 shows a planting of Aloyzia grass illustrating the tightness ofthe turf.

FIG. 5 illustrates the spreading characteristics of Aloyzia sprigged bya four-foot wide machine using 150 sq. ft. of nursery sod. Rows areapprox 150 ft long w/approx 6 ft between rows. Total width nearly 20 ftwide. Also a good illustration of its color.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following is a detailed description of the new grass variety, basedupon my observations of the plant as grown in Sarasota, Fla.

“Aloyzia” is a perennial vegetatively propagated Zoysia grass. It growsby creeping or ascendant rhizomes/stolons which root at the nodes. Itscolor is a deeper green color than most other known varieties of Zoysia.I have asexually propagated the new grass in Sarasota Fla. by means ofstolon/rhimzome cuttings containing one, two, three and more nodesections. It has also been asexually propagated for evaluation inArcadia, Fla., as well as other locations in Texas, Kentucky andGeorgia. Planting stock has been grown, as shown in the illustrations,for use in studying performance and in comparison with other grasses toevaluate its viability for use in warm climate areas.

The growth habit of Aloyzia is fast growing and aggressive with manylateral shoots with increasing upright growth of leaf blades withincreasing density producing a “firm” turf

The internodes of Aloyzia will vary in length depending upon the heightof cut. The nodes will range between ¼ in at a mowing height of 1½ in,and approx ½ inch apart for new-grown runners.

It should be apparent to one with ordinary skill in the art that I havedescribed a new and distinct variety of Zoysia grass plant, Aloyzia,characterized by its green color, (#141 Strong Green—5.8g 4.48.7—#006B3C as defined by the ISCC-NBS centroid color chart). This newvariety produces a faster establishment growth rate and a finer texture,and with an upright growth characteristic that produces less thatch/matbuild-up. The florescence of the new variety of Zoysia grass plant ispurplish in color. The stolons/rhizomes of the new variety of Zoysiagrass plant are closer together producing more numerous plants than mostother varieties of Zoysia that generally produce a much coarser texture.Aloyzia produces a medium textured turf very similar to the appearanceof Kentucky Bluegrass with a darker green color than most Zoysiavarieties.

SUMMARY

The grass of the present variety includes the following characteristics;

-   -   a. The upper surface of the leaf is an attractive dark green        color, color number 141 Strong Green—5.8g 4.4 8.7—#006B3C, as        defined by the ISCC-NBS centroid color chart of 2004. The lower        surface of the leaf is also a deep green color defined by color        number 142 Deep Green on the ISCC-NBS color chart of 2004. The        margin is the color of the leaf.    -   b. The grass is low growing, erect in habit.    -   c. The grass grows by stolons and rhizomes, forming a dense,        uniform surface, with an extensive root system. The stolons are        #87 Light yellow—3.8y-7.1-6.5 #D79D41 as defined by ISCC-NBS        centroid color chart. Nodes range between 1.25-1.5 mm apart.    -   d. Leaves rolled in the bud.    -   e. The leaf blade is flat and gradually tapering to an acute        point.    -   f. The first mature leaf is approx 0.25 mm in width and 3.5-4 mm        in length.    -   g. The leaf blade is glabrous.    -   h. The ligule is a very small ciliate fringe. Cilia are numerous        with varied lengths that may range up to 0.25 mm in length.    -   i. Auricles are absent    -   j. The collar is continuous.    -   k. The sheath is glabrous, except for hairs at the top of the        sheath at the ligule. The sheath is split with separate margins.    -   l. The entire plant is glabrous, except at the top of the sheath        where there are cilia at the ligule.    -   m. The inflorescence consists of a single spike at the top of        the main stem.    -   n. The spike contains stamen of a purplish color.

1. A new and distinct variety of Zoysia grass, substantially as hereinillustrated and described, characterized by its distinctive combinationof vegetative characteristics, its dark green color and its spreadinggrowth pattern.